24 LETTERS OF BEEZELIUS 



are treated in more detail, and which I hope will 

 soon appear in Poggendorff's Annalen. These pheno- 

 mena seem to me to be of the more importance in 

 that they do not agree with the electro-chemical 

 theory which is at present accepted. You have 

 already thrown light on so many of the dark places 

 of chemistry that I have no doubt you will also be 

 able to give a satisfactory solution of the problem 

 which my observations present. 



Finally, I would once more ask you to pardon the 

 liberty I have 'taken ; and I beg to subscribe myself 

 with the utmost respect and esteem, 



Your obedient servant, 



Dr. SCHONBEIN, 

 Professor of Chemistry. 



Berzelius answered in the following letter, which reached 

 Bale on the 15th of May 1837 : 



II 

 Berzelius to Schonbein 



STOCKHOLM, tth May 1837. 



DEAR SIR, 



There is an old proverb: Quod differtur, 

 aufertur. This might well be applied to my answer 

 to the letter with which you favoured me on 22nd 

 April 1836, and in which you communicated to me 

 your observations on the peculiar behaviour of iron 

 in the presence of nitric acid. I was away when the 



